Reporter’s Notebook

The 30-year-old constable,part of the detection branch (DB) at Hadapsar police station,revealed this bit of his ‘domestic interrogation’ while speaking his heart out. “I was part of the investigating team for about five recent crimes under Hadapsar police station. I have spent not more than 24 hours home in the last 20 days. Yesterday,my wife called me and asked me where I was. I said I was conducting investigations into a murder case in which the body of a woman was found buried in her hut. My wife shouted at me saying it’s time I shifted for good to the police station and stayed there. It’s not that she does not understand the importance of investigations but I guess there are limits to her patience,” said the constable. We wonder if he was fined on reaching home or let off with just a warning.

Minister almost skips his press conference

About 30-odd reporters from various media houses assembled at Sakhar Sankul for a press conference of a minister on Saturday afternoon. They waited but the minister and his staff seemed to have no recollection of any such invite being sent out. Soon frantic calls began. To make matters worse,the entire office seemed to have done away with chairs on all corridors,leaving one and all either on the floor or perched on the window sills. After about an hour’s delay,the reporters were finally told that the minister was on his way and a room was made available for them to sit. A little later,the elected representative stumbled in and held an extempore press conference,causing senior officials of the department to wipe their brows frequently and prompt figures from the background.

‘New’ canteen,not old tea

Cops at the police commissioner’s office and visitors have finally no need of the worn-out and old canteen situated right in front of the crime branch building. A new,posh and clean canteen has come up at the same location. A senior police officer said,“It was not that food quality of the earlier canteen was bad but change is always good. We are yet to taste all the dishes here. The chicken thali they serve on some days is good.” Another senior officer said,“As far as our staple drink tea is concerned,the earlier canteen was better. We have started ordering tea from outside. “

The stunning Pune effect

After stunning the audience in films like Alice in Wonderland,Spartan and Aviator ,it was the turn of visual effects guru and creative director of Sassoon Film Studio,USA,Tim Sassoon,to be awestruck during his recent visit to the Sassoon General Hospital.

“My ancestors helped build all this?” He asked as clicked his camera. He wore a Puneri pagdi and several marigold garlands. He toured the hospital (followed by nurses and doctors in each ward). So ‘overwhelmed’ was he by the reception at the hospital that the creative director seemed at a loss for words and could only express his feelings by writing ‘Love you all’ in the visitors book.

Quotable quote

Expressing the need of giving opportunity to the youth in elections,NCP chief Sharad Pawar,addressing a rally,said that 50 per cent of the urban population is below 40 years old. He then had the crowd in splits as he pointed to the dark hair (dyed) of party leader Chhagan Bhujal and quipped,“I have given up Godrej ki jawani.”

(Contributed by Sushant Kulkarni,Pupul Chaterjee,Anuradha Mascarenhas and Ajay Khape)